Wayne Rooney singled out one Manchester United-linked striker during an eye-opening comparison with Bayern Munich ace Harry Kane and Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new striker and Ruben Amorim is expected to receive an attacking forward option before the summer window shuts in September.
Both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund struggled to lead the frontline for Manchester United last season and the Red Devils appeared toothless at times.
Rasmus Hojlund only managed to score 10 times in 52 matches for the Red Devils, while Joshua Zirkzee netted seven times in 47 matches in his debut United season.
United have been linked with different strikers in the summer transfer window, including Napoli ace Victor Osimhen and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.
The Red Devils finished the 2024-25 Premier League campaign in a lacklustre 15th place in the league table and will be without European football for next season.
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Manchester United legend and Amazon Prime Video pundit Wayne Rooney during the Champions League match between Liverpool and PSG at Anfield in 2025 in Liverpool.
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
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Why Man Utd icon Wayne Rooney compared Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins to Harry Kane and Erling Haaland
Ollie Watkins has been linked with Manchester United and the 29-year-old Aston Villa striker could make his exit from the Premier League club this summer.
The United target is under contract with Aston Villa until 2028 and Watkins netted 17 times and picked up 14 assists in 54 matches across all competitions last season.
Wayne Rooney is United’s all-time leading scorer and the 39-year-old former Red Devils skipper is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time.
The United legend has already had his say on Watkins and approved of what the England international is able to bring to the role as a centre-forward in football.
Rooney bemoaned the impact that modern football has had on traditional strikers and how “everyone is trying to play out from the back” with their playing styles.
The former Plymouth Argyle boss insisted that Ollie Watkins was a rare example of a classic centre-forward alongside the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
“There are no centre-forwards out there,” he said on The Overlap ahead of Euro 2024, as per FourFourTwo magazine in 2024.
“If you look around world football, you look at Harry Kane and [Erling] Haaland.
“Even just in the Premier League, you’ve got [Ollie] Watkins after them – there are no forwards.”
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Wayne Rooney’s endorsement of Ollie Watkins shows why the Aston Villa striker would suit Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim
According to The Athletic on Monday, Ollie Watkins had emerged on United’s list as a potential replacement for Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford this summer.
Hojlund has been linked with Inter Milan in recent weeks and the 22-year-old Danish forward’s future at Old Trafford has been plunged into doubt after his poor season.
The Denmark international struggled as a centre-forward in Ruben Amorim’s tactical system for United and the writing could be on the wall for his time at the Red Devils.
Amorim needs a traditional striker who can replicate at the Red Devils what Viktor Gyokeres did for the 40-year-old United manager during his reign at Sporting CP.
Rooney already spotted the quality that Watkins possesses as a centre-forward and the Aston Villa star could thrive under Red Devils boss Amorim at Old Trafford.